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View Full Version : Avon Viper AV59/AV60



loosebruce
15th August 2005, 16:19
Avon, not normally a word you'd think of shit hot sports tyres when mentioned, i've run a few and known a few who have run em, had an AV40 on the rear of the TL, which was an interesting tyre (the 750kms it lasted anyway) had good grip when you on the gas, but throttle off mid corner and the thing would come back round on ya and it was stupid in the wet, so i didn't get another one of them. Zed used to run a AV50SP (or is the 49SP the front?) on the front and a AV46ST on the rear, seems to be a popular combo for some people and Zed can move along at a fair rate at times. Death has run the SP's front and rear and (for him) has got good mileage out of them, and reports back that they are no where near a bad tyre, it has just seemed that everyone else was making better tyres at the time, and lets face it most people wouldn't think of running Avon's on there bike, in regards to they are good but not that good, and when you're talking of the one bit of bike that'll keep you upright tyres are pretty damn important.
I'm always in favour of Michelin, everyone has there opinion to what they like, so to change to a tyre maker that has never been right up there in performance levels was a big ask. I've read more than a few reivews about the vipers and pretty much everyone raved about them, saying they were on par and if not better with the likes of Racetecs/Supercorsa's and Pilot Powers etc, JP of Superbike magazine went as far to say on this Bike (CBR600RR) on this track (Catalunya) on this day, i'd have to do something really wrong to crash. so at a good price and in need of new rubber front and rear i decided to give em a go.
At the time of fitting only the Sport compound was available, ideally i was after the Supersport (slighty sticker) and then theres the Extreme, for track use.
I've fitted them on my GSXR1000K3, with a 190/50 rear and 120/70 front, they do make a 190/55 in the xtreme. The differnces are always like whoa when you get out on new rubber compared to the worn shit rubber you once had, so i waited and went to the track (pukekohe) on friday, and in direct comparison to the Pilot Powers that i had on, they worked very well.
On the track:
Less squirm under braking, but not as much feedback as the powers though, but confident enough to push on them knowing they'd do the job when turing in still on the brakes.
The rear hooked well, but not as well as the Power, which became more noticeable on the road funnily enough, but like all sport tyres aimed at the road after 6 laps or so they had cooked themselves, so it would'nt be an issue on the road you think.
On the road:
Fisrt part of my ride yesterday saw, wet/damp roads in the first part, it's hard coming from the a tyre like the Power's which know how bloody well they work in the wet and getting on a tyre you know nothing about, needless to say i rode a bit more cautiously feeling for grip levels, so i can't comment on thier preformance in the wet (yet). Once it dried out and on the trip over to whangamata, i let rip and they worked very, very well, those that saw me know i was going at a fair pace alright and never had an issue with them, stopping at whangamata for lunch then onto waihi, those that dont know this road, it starts off medium - fast corners, into two very tight hill sections, then onto a faster open section until waihi (lovely bit of road it is).
I pushed even harder this time, managed to keep everything smooth and fast and was very easy to do so, with the combo of bike and tyres, only quirk about them on the road under hard riding conditions they cooked on the road as well, which resulted in a much surpirsing 3rd gear rear going sideways moment, which wouldn't of happened with the Pilot Power, but in it's defence it became very easy to get the bike to slide under power exiting corners and was very controlable and predictable, which resulted in many black marks being left out of corners by me and Death with his ever so quickly deteriorating Dunlop 218's, i dont normally think about trying to slide the bike but it was quite fun to do so. The Pilot Powers wouldn't of let go as easy, but when they did, they were not as nice about it. Maybe next ride i will up the pressure's a bit and see how they go then, but maybe with my riding the slightly sticker Supersport would be the way to go.
Mileage i can't comment on at the moment, and checking out BJ's near new vipers at the beginning of the rider i have already taken a fair chunk off them, i'll be happy if i make 2000km out fo rear, will let you know. If i get anything like deaths rear 218, i wont be happy though.

All in all, Avon have lifted their game for sure and these tyres are right up there, once fully worn will i go and get another set, maybe, maybe not, i really like the wet preformance of the Powers and they are equal in the dry, price would be the biggest factor in buying a new set. Would i recomend them, Yes, plus they are one of the coolest looking tyres on the market, it would be nice to try a new set of racetecs, then a new set of the Viper xtremes back to back on the track, but that'd be rather expensive, and money is for petrol at the mo.

vifferman
15th August 2005, 16:28
Zed used to run a AV50SP (or is the 49SP the front?) on the front and a AV46ST on the rear.
Nah - it's the AV49-SP on the front. I used this combo on the VTR1000, after Kerry recommended I try them instead of the Diablos I was looking at. :yes:
They were OK, without being so good it was "Wow!! I'll have to have these again!" But neither were they so bad that I'd slag them off to other people. However, they were a vast improvement on the Azaros I'd previously tried on my VFR750 (AV39 and 40, I think they wuz.)

bugjuice
15th August 2005, 16:31
ahem to that.. I quite like them at the moment, but I haven't tried PPowers to compare against. Might be the next set, to see how they are.. but yup, happy with me purchase for the moment. And my balls aren't big enough to make it spin up on corners yet. There were a few very long radius corners which were constant, so thru those corners, I was cranking up the speed, and the faster I got, the more they seemed to stick, so was happy about that. In the back of my head was the front tyre being the wrong way round tho and the suspension not being set up, but all the same, I'm happy with the performance for my limited abilities

loosebruce
15th August 2005, 18:23
They stick well, one instance when they got tested more than i'd like, going round the outside of Death at a speed well above the legal limit, when ah hello, corner tightens caught both of us off guard, handful of brake and slam the thing onto it's ear and it pulled round very well, not so for death lol, he can fill you in on that one.

loosebruce
24th August 2005, 16:38
Well Mileage, i ended up with a shy over 1600kms out of the sport which is the hardest compond, but after extensive talks with Kerry from Motohaus and Brendan from Avon NZ, and dissucsing this with my tyre chewing buddy Death, it may seem that we have been running pressures to low (only talking 3-4psi) but it all counts.
They recomend running at least 38psi, even for track use, dont change it they say. Reason the carcuss's are softer and therefore even at higher psi they still work well in allowing flex to provide heat, where as in the older days of tyres (not talking cross plys here) the harder carcuss's needed lower psi to flex more to obtain better temp to gain grip.
Chances are i'm talking complete shit, and have got everything mixed up that they said to me, but at the time it sounded like it made sense, may of even got through to an old skool fella like Death, so i'll try it and with a new Supersport Viper going on the rear this week (even softer) i'll run it at recmomended psi and see how the milage goes on this one.
So well i get beter mileage and preformance by listening to them? I hope so casue i really can't afford a new rear tyre every two weeks. They reckon i'll at least double my mileage by doing so.

Of course i'll be on a misson to prove them wrong :devil2:

bugjuice
24th August 2005, 16:52
I was gonna ask about that. I let mine down slightly for the track, but haven't bumped them back up yet, and they feel really squidgy. I'll put the back tyre back up to 38 then... What about the front?

loosebruce
24th August 2005, 17:02
Whatever is on the side of the tyre i guess, i still have 35psi front and it's holding up real well, and hasn't put a foot wrong at all, track or road, well there was this one time i pulled a stoppie on the tyre when it was cold and it let go, but that was my bad, should've known better.

Sparky Bills
24th August 2005, 17:02
I have just been given a set by the supplier to try out on the R1.

Will be interesting to see how they go compared to the Diablo's. (which are going to be hard to beat)

I wouldnt have usually even considered them, but hey... cant really so no now can i?

bugjuice
24th August 2005, 17:05
Whatever is on the side of the tyre i guess, i still have 35psi front and it's holding up real well, and hasn't put a foot wrong at all, track or road, well there was this one time i pulled a stoppie on the tyre when it was cold and it let go, but that was my bad, should've known better.
errrrrr...... I thought the psi on the sidewall is the max pressure the tyre can run..?? not the recommended..

loosebruce
24th August 2005, 17:07
I wouldnt have usually even considered them, but hey... cant really so no now can i?

Wll you can say No and give em to me. I'll even let you lap me next time i'm at Manfeild. (only for one session though).
In all honesty i think the Vipers well surprise you martin, just as good as any tyre out there at the moment. Just think to yourself these are shit hot tyres and well do the job, and get on with your riding, dont think ohhh i wont push as hard cause these are Avons n all.

loosebruce
24th August 2005, 17:10
errrrrr...... I thought the psi on the sidewall is the max pressure the tyre can run..?? not the recommended..

What the fuck would i know? I never have a tyre on my bike long enough to read everything on the sidewall............plus the garage is over 10 metres away from me to go have a look, the fridge on the other hand is only 4 metres away with the cold coke in it, and the Jim Beam is stays right next to me always, bugger the glasses are over 8 metres away, straight outta the bottle then.

Blackbird
24th August 2005, 17:42
Nice to hear that the Vipers are now available in the NZ. There have been some great write-ups on the Superblackbird UK site about grip although some of the guys are stuffing them in 4000km. Anyone have any experience with total life yet?

I'm really pleased with my Azaro "B" Spec which are built for bikes like Blackbirds and 'busas, i.e fast and heavy.

bugjuice
24th August 2005, 17:46
k, so I had a look before I set off home. Both front and rear tyres say 42psi cold. Which also says 'max pressure', so anything more, the tyres will either become defective in grip and/or run the risk of bursting (which I don't think is a huge risk..)

On the way home, I stopped by the gas station (also out-smarted another cop following me), and put the pressure up to 36/38 f/r, which (goes without saying) made the bike feel a bit skitish again. If that's the ideal, then I'll keep it and trust it. If not, someone please tell me before I kill myself, or worse, the bike!!

loosebruce
24th August 2005, 17:55
Yeah sounds bout right, 42psi cold, allowing for extra pressure when it heats up under riding, i'll run 38 in the rear for sure but prolly leave the front the same, after all the rear goes not too big an issue, the front goes, new undies and maybe new bike.

bugjuice
24th August 2005, 17:56
so what's the front then?

loosebruce
24th August 2005, 18:03
Used to run 34psi road, 30-1ish track. Have tried 35psi and that work well on the road, so 36 should be all good. If you bin it dont come crying to me though, not that you will Kit. It prolly would feel skiitishey (wtf) at first and would only feel any good once some decent heat is into them, ie going for a proper ride, not the commute to and form work.

bugjuice
24th August 2005, 18:29
the commute is literally 5 minutes, prob not even that.. might knock it down a couple of psi to 34 then, see what that's like
cheers bruce

Sparky Bills
24th August 2005, 22:00
On the road, i run 32 front and 38 rear. (you can run 40-42 rear just so it lasts a little longer and wears better-only recomended if taking it easy)

On the track I run about 30 in both front and rear. Maybe less depending on conditions.

It comes down to what you feel comfy with on the bike. Test a few different pressures out and make a choice from there. Its all up to you, dont go by what someone else tells you. Everyone has thier own riding style.

bugjuice
25th August 2005, 09:35
but I'm still at the early stages of 'dickin around' with stuff like this. I'm not sure if I'm getting the best grip, cos it might feel a bit too hard, where as in reality, it's at the prime, or may be not even that. I do need to play around with them for sure. That's what I'll be doing in the next few rides, and with summer coming up too, it'll be the ideal time.

Also, this mornin, pulled the best wheelie I've ever done on the way in!! Couldn't believe it!! I racked it up in second (not intending to pull a wheelie) and my left hand just blipped the clutch! Didn't mean to (I swear officer), then it just came straight up! And then at the top of the wheelie, it felt really positive and solid, so I eased off the throttle a little, and it started to sink down, so I opened it back up, and it came back up!!! I did this 3 times in the wheelie on purpose.. Wasn't quite the balance point, but couldn't have been far from it, and I could have gone on longer, if the damn traffic lights weren't there.. man, I'm buzzin... And, I checked the rear tyre when I stopped, and it was stone cold (normally tyres have to be warm/hot to grip best under hard acceleration) and no sign of wheelspin (which happens when they're cold cos they can't grip).. man my bike rocks.. wasn't even afraid of it, I just really enjoyed it!! 'kin whoooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooo!!!!!!!! :woohoo:

loosebruce
25th August 2005, 15:08
You can always let me ride your bike and i'll tell you weather it's got enough grip one way or another i'll find out..............

Kudos on the wheelie BJ, its practice mate, keep on it, it just gets easier and easier once you get a bit of confidence. If it's spinning up at times you maybe being too aggrevsive with the clutch, try doing it off the throttle, your bike will do it easy, it's just technique, it'll give the rear tyre a less harder time and plus it will come up smoother.

bugjuice
25th August 2005, 15:14
you could do.. at least it'd be set for the next pair of tyres by the time you get back ;) The suspension probably needs a bit of a tweak too, but it'd be good to have you or/and a few others just to have a quick check. Piece of mind if nothing else..

I am gonna try wheelies off the throttle now that I know what to feel for. But with the 636, it's a lot of effort to try to get it up right. The bike is set up to be angled nose-down, so on acceleration, it sits flat. So to make the front to come up past that is the tricky bit. But I've spoken to people who have 636s and they seem to get the hang of it, so just practice. Still buzzin, and the sun is gleamin outside.. just so not fair, work sucks..

oh, and congrats on the flashy X ;)

loosebruce
30th August 2005, 13:44
Well have put on a new rear being the Supersport compond, so well see how that goes running it at recomended pressure of 38psi on road and track, and maybe get some more mileage out of it, hopefully i wont be needing another rear tyre in two weeks again, budget wont allow for that kind of carry on.

bugjuice
30th August 2005, 13:51
was good to drift tho.. ;)

HDTboy
30th August 2005, 15:33
How did you two rate the tyres on each others bikes?

Sparky Bills
30th August 2005, 15:43
Did the first test at Manfeild on Sunday.
VERY impressed! Plenty of grip, stability, feel and didnt chew out.
Did squirm a bit out of the corners but nothing to worry about.
Ended up loosing my rear brake and front brakes started fading big time, so didnt push it too hard, but still happy with how they went.

Ran 32 psi front and 36 psi rear.
Would usually run lower on the track, but wanted to test them on my road pressures.
Seem to grip very well on the Piekok hill too. Even in damp conditions.
Although... They have been the hardest tyres I have used to scrub in.

loosebruce
30th August 2005, 15:57
How did you two rate the tyres on each others bikes?

As you saw my one was well fucked, and i didn't really push buggys bike that hard, not my bike, dont wanna chuck it away, wheelies okay though, frasers YZFSP on the other hand takes some abuse alright to loft the front.

Sparky how'd ya mean hard to scrub in, i did 2 laps at puke and they were sweet az from then on.

Sparky Bills
30th August 2005, 16:43
Sparky how'd ya mean hard to scrub in, i did 2 laps at puke and they were sweet az from then on.

They slipped lots more than the Pirelli's. When I did manage to scrub them in, they were fine. But until I did, They were a bit slipping quite a bit.

HDTboy
30th August 2005, 18:02
As you saw my one was well fucked.
How big were the blisters by the time you got home? You threw quite a bit of smoke from the front when you landed that last wheelie